Linguistic and Cultural Difficulties Encounter ESL Arabic-Speaking Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to reveal challenges facing Arabic-speaking ESL students. 30 Arabic-speaking ESL students and five teachers in Administrative Secretarial institute in Kuwait participated in this exploratory study.
Research questions focused on the needs of the Arabic-speaking ESL students, the factors that influence their learning, and the problems the teachers face in supporting these students. Data sources included teacher and student interviews, and classroom test. Data showed that the students face challenges to learn the English language, the culture, and curricular content using their limited English.
The study concluded that several important challenges for teachers and students exist, including time, language support, and knowledge. The study is organized into four sections. Section One identifies the rationale, scope and aims of the study. Section Two highlights the data collection methods adopted. Section Three provides theoretical analysis on the findings. And Section Four clarifies the causes of the participant students’ challenges.